The invention relates to a jet regulator or jet aerator with a jet regulator housing, which can be inserted into a water outlet and detachably held therein by means of a threaded or bayonet connection.
The invention also deals with a sanitary water outlet, which for a plurality of visibly separately emerging water jets has a corresponding plurality of water outflows spaced apart from one another.
Sanitary water outlets have already been created in a variety of embodiments. For example, jet aerators are already known, which can be mounted with their jet aerator housing at the outlet end of a sanitary outlet fitting. The previously known jet aerators divide the inflowing water flow in the interior of their jet aerator housing into a multiplicity of individual jets in order to mix these individual jets with ambient air suctioned in and to form these individual jets mixed with air in this manner again into a homogenous, sparkling soft and non-splashing total jet.
Spray heads are known that eject the inflowing water as spray jets visibly separated from one another. If these spray jets are to emerge as aerated individual jets, i.e., as so-called “champagne jets,” an aeration device is arranged upstream of the previously known spray heads in the flow direction, which aeration device aerates the inflowing water before it is divided into the individual spray jets. However, the expenditure in terms of space and construction associated with the upstream arrangement of an aeration device is high. The spray heads designed to produce champagne jets of this type are comparatively clunky and expensive to produce due to the integrated aeration device.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide an aerated or un-aerated jet regulator as well as a water outlet of the type mentioned at the outset, which can be produced in a compact and cost-effective manner and is versatile in use.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a jet regulator or jet aerator of the type mentioned at the outset with a jet regulator housing having an outflow-side housing partial region with a reduced housing outer circumference compared to the inflow-side housing partial region, and the outflow-side housing partial region can be inserted into an insert opening of a turning tool such that the turning tool can be applied to a tool working surface in a rotationally fixed manner. The tool working surface is provided on the outflow-side frontal edge and/or on the housing circumference of the outflow-side housing partial region and/or on an annular flange wrapping around the housing partial region on the outside.
The jet regulator according to the invention, which can be embodied as an aerated or un-aerated jet regulator and thus also as a jet aerator, has an outflow-side housing partial region that has a reduced housing outer circumference compared to the inflow-side housing partial region. The jet regulator housing can be inserted with its housing partial region with reduced outer circumference into an insert opening of a turning tool such that the turning tool can be applied to a tool working surface in a rotationally fixed manner. Since the housing partial region with reduced outer circumference is aligned or centered in the insert opening of the turning tool, even a small compact jet regulator can be handled and mounted easily. The jet regulator that can be inserted with its outflow-side housing partial region into the insert opening of the turning tool can be aligned in a simple manner such that even inexperienced users can bring the turning tool and the jet regulator into a relative position to one another such that the turning tool easily finds the tool working surface provided on the jet regulator.
A preferred exemplary embodiment according to the invention thereby provides that the tool working surface is embodied in a crown-shaped manner and/or has at least one indentation or cavity that interacts with a mating surface on the turning tool embodied in a complementary manner.
Another exemplary embodiment according to the invention provides the outflow-side housing partial region of the jet regulator housing being embodied in a sleeve-shaped manner, the water outflow of the jet regulator being formed by a flow straightener, which has flow-through holes arranged in a plane oriented transversely to the flow-through direction and defined by flow guide walls, and the outflow-side frontal edge of the housing partial region being embodied in a sleeve-shaped manner projects in the axial direction with a spacing over the flow straightener.
A jet regulator produced according to this suggested solution has an outflow-side housing partial region embodied in a sleeve-shaped manner, the outflow-side frontal edge of which projects with a spacing over the flow straightener. Even with a compact and optionally also miniaturized design, this jet regulator according to the invention is characterized by an emerging water jet that virtually does not splash beyond the jet circumference.
It is particularly advantageous if the outflow-side housing partial region is embodied as an effective centering aid during insertion into the insert opening of the turning tool.
The alignment and centering of the turning tool in relation to the jet regulator housing is further facilitated if the outflow-side frontal edge of the jet regulator housing projects in the axial direction over the annular flange having the tool working surface.
Another exemplary embodiment of the invention, which is characterized by the versatile applicability of this jet regulator according to the invention, provides that at least one sealing ring is provided for the axial and/or radial sealing of the jet regulator with respect to a line section adjacent on the inflow side and in particular with respect to a sanitary outlet fitting, and that at least one sealing ring is provided in an annular groove arranged on the jet regulator housing on the outer circumferential side and/or in a housing receptacle arranged on the housing frontal face on the inflow side. The jet regulator embodied according to this suggested solution can be sealed axially and/or radially on the housing circumferential side, if necessary. “On the housing circumferential side” means that a seal of this type seals the annular gap between the housing outer circumference of the jet regulator housing and an inner circumferential wall, for example, of the fitting outlet of the sanitary outlet fitting.
In the water outlet of the type mentioned at the outset, the solution according to the invention lies in that respectively one jet aerator is provided in at least a plurality of the water outflows, that each of these jet aerators has a cross-sectional narrowing that accelerates the partial quantity of the water flowing to the water outlet flowing through the jet aerator such that an underpressure is produced on the outflow side of the cross-sectional narrowing, and that each jet aerator has a mixing region following its cross-sectional narrowing for mixing the partial quantity flowing through with ambient air suctioned in due to the underpressure such that an aerator water jet emerges from each jet aerator.
The water outlet according to the invention has a plurality, i.e., at least two, water outflows spaced apart from one another. Respectively one miniaturized jet aerator is provided in all of the water outflows, but at least in a plurality of these water outflows. Whereas one total jet shaped in a homogeneous manner from aerated individual jets emerges from conventional jet aerators, visibly separated champagne jets accordingly spaced apart from one another emerge from the water outlet according to the invention. Each of the jet aerators provided in the water outflows of the water outlet according to the invention has a cross-sectional narrowing that accelerates the partial quantity of the water flowing to the water outlet flowing through the jet aerator such that an underpressure is produced on the outflow side of the cross-sectional narrowing. Each jet aerator has a mixing region following its cross-sectional narrowing for mixing the partial quantity flowing through with ambient air suctioned in due to the underpressure, such that an aerated water jet emerges from each jet aerator. The miniaturized jet aerators used can thereby be sized so small that the water outlet according to the invention can also be embodied in a very compact and space-saving manner. The jet aerators can thereby be produced in a cost-effective manner as small knob-shaped or rivet-shaped plastic parts.
The components necessary for the jet aerators used according to the invention can also be integrated individually into the assigned water outflow, if necessary. However, it is easier if each jet aerator has a jet aerator housing and if the jet aerator housings can be respectively inserted into a through opening of the water outlet.
The jet regulators according to the invention can be attached in the water outflows assigned thereto in a sufficiently stable and captive manner, without screw means, adhesive means or other expensive connecting means being necessary, if at least one jet regulator with its preferably mushroom-shaped or rivet-shaped jet regulator housing can be inserted from the inflow side of the water outlet therein up to an insert stop projecting on the circumferential side on the jet regulator housing.
An embodiment according to the invention that is particularly easy to produce and also therefore preferably provides that the insert stop is embodied as a surrounding annular flange.
In order that the ambient air necessary to produce the champagne jets can be suctioned into the interior of the jet aerators used according to the invention, it is advantageous if, on the circumferential side on the jet aerator housing, at least one aerating opening is provided that opens into the housing interior. This aerating opening could optionally also be fed via central aerating ducts assigned to several jet aerators simultaneously. A preferred embodiment according to the invention, however, provides that between at least one jet aerator housing and the edge region of the water outlet delimiting the through opening at least one aerating duct is arranged leading from the outflow side of the water outlet to at least one aerating opening.
An aerating duct of this type can thereby be produced particularly simply if the jet aerator housing has, in the region of the at least one aerating opening, a housing cross-section enlarged in comparison with the housing partial region arranged on the outflow side and preferably tapering conically in the direction of the outflow-side housing partial region.
In order to be able to produce the jet regulator in the required miniaturized size, it is advantageous if the jet regulator has a central insert part that has at least one through opening. This central insert part can be embodied in a particularly simple manner as a diffuser dividing the inflowing water, if a blind hole is provided on the center insert part, the circumferential-side hole wall of which blind hole has the at least one through opening.
In order to embody the cross-sectional narrowing required in the jet regulator according to the invention in a simple manner, it is advantageous if the first central insert part can be inserted into a sleeve-shaped second insert part and if the first insert part and the second insert part delimit the cross-sectional narrowing preferably embodied as an annular channel.
A particularly effective and high-performance embodiment according to the invention thereby provides that the cross-sectional narrowing is embodied as a channel preferably tapering conically in the flow direction.
The jet regulator according to the invention can be assembled from a few components with low expenditure if the first insert part can be inserted into the second insert part and the second insert part can be inserted into the jet regulator housing, and if an insert stop respectively delimits the insert path. A preferred further development according to the invention thereby provides that the first insert part and/or the second insert part have an insert stop embodied as an annular shoulder, which interacts with an insert counter-stop embodied on the inner circumference of the second insert part or the jet regulator housing as an annular stop surrounding preferably in an annular manner.
In order to be able to embody respectively one clearly defined mixing region in the interior of the jet aerators used according to the invention, it is advantageous if the first insert part and the second insert part on the outflow side extends up to a housing section of the jet aerator housing reaching into the region of the at least one aerating opening.
A water outlet is characterized by at least one non-splashing water jet that is homogenous in a thread-like manner, if at least one water passage element embodied as a jet regulating device, as a homogenization device or as a flow straightener and embodied as a network structure or lattice structure is provided after the cross-sectional narrowing in the flow direction.
A preferred embodiment according to the invention, in which the jet regulator or at least its essential components are held on the water outlet in a virtually captive manner, provides that a mounting flange projects on the circumferential side on the first central insert part, on the second insert part and/or on the jet regulator housing, which mounting flange can be connected preferably tightly in a surrounding manner to the edge region of the water outlet bordering the water outflow. In this embodiment, a mounting flange is provided on the central insert part, on the second insert part and/or on the jet regulator housing, which mounting flange can be connected to the edge region bordering the water outflow. If this mounting flange is connected to the edge region bordering the water outflow tightly in a surrounding manner, undesirable and uncontrolled leakage flows—past the jet regulator—are avoided.
It is particularly advantageous if the at least one mounting flange is welded, adhered or otherwise connected to the edge region surrounding the water outflow.
A further aspect according to the invention of independently patentable significance provides that the water outlet has a retaining plate that can be inserted into an outlet nozzle, which retaining plate preferably has a plurality of water outflows, in which water outflows preferably respectively one jet aerator is provided. The jet aerators produced in miniaturized form make it possible to also produce the jet regulator that can be mounted at the outlet end of a sanitary outlet fitting with the aid of an outlet nozzle in a modular manner from one or preferably several individual jet aerators. The number of jet aerators necessary can thereby be determined according to the required flow-through capacity per time unit.
Further features according to the invention are shown by the specification and the claims. The invention is described in even more detail below based on preferred exemplary embodiments.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.